Bravo on your Nov. 11 editorial, “The wetlands factor” Your editorial commented on how through the years Staten Island’s marshlands have been disappearing, resulting in coastal storms causing much destruction on the beach communities facing the Lower Bay of New York.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the amount of marshlands along the Staten Island coastline was quite extensive, resulting in having large storms having their effect absorbed by these marshes.

Larger storms such as the recent one, Sandy, probably would not have been absorbed completely, but at least the effects would have been toned down somewhat.

Fortunately, the type of storm that was created when Hurricane Sandy, coming northward in the Atlantic Ocean, joined the cold front coming from the West to form a super nor’easter is a once-in-100-years phenomenon.

The wetlands have to be protected, not given up for construction of new homes, nor the construction of roadways (Father Capodanno Boulevard), nor the construction of hospitals (South Beach Psychiatric Center, Staten Island University Hospital) etc.

As a society we have to defend the principle that nothing should be allowed in the destruction of any wetlands.